All My Children Discussion Group

Topic: Dancing With The Stars - 5/5/08

Tonight we continue with a Ballroom Round and a Latin Round. The couples also were given permission by the judges to do one lift per dance, if they wish (it isn't mandatory), but it has to be in character with the dance. Of course, to help their scores, you know that they will all do the lifts.

BALLROOM ROUND

Clips of the couples going over lifts with a lot of falls is shown.

Kristi & Mark-QUICKSTEP-(Not sure)
Practice Session: Second place. More determined. Will do lift but only on first dance. Mark says that the lift is not in character with the Samba. Kristi is disappointed.
Dance: Very well performed. Kristi's hand postion might have been a bit off but it was a very good performance.
Len--That has cheered me up no end! Right back where you were a couple of weeks ago. 10
Bruno--A super candidate with a super ticket to the final. Beautifully moved around the floor. 10
Carrie Ann--Loved that they danced toward the judges but got a little out of sync. Technique is always flawless. 9
TOTAL: = 29

Tom--"Thanks to Kristi & Mark for putting Len in a good mood."

Mario & Karina-VIENNESE WALTZ-If I Ain't Got You--
Practice:Excited about the lifts. Practice in the pool.
Dance:Very good. Better posture. Beautiful lift.
Bruno--DWTS has a new prince. Romantic, elegant. All polish & distinction. 9
Carrie Ann--Nice and stiff. Much more elegant. Posture was correct. Lift completely enhanced your routine. 9
Len--Your ballroom dancing reminds me of Britney Spears getting out of a car. But tonight this was the most elegant I've seen you do. 9
TOTAL: = 27

Samantha interview--asks him about Len's critique and Mario impersonates Len.

Marissa & Tony-FOXTROT-New York, New York--
Practice--Tony is proud of Marissa. Looked clumsy in the lift.
Dance: She looked beautiful and elegant in this dance. Her costume was lovely on her this time. Nice movement. The lift came out looking very good. More graceful.
Carrie Ann--Loved the way you connect with the audience. 9
Len--Look better when you were in hold than when you weren't. Great posture, lovely movement around the floor. 8
Bruno--More gliding movement. Bold, brassy but not appropriate for the dance in the quarterfinals. I thought I was going to see Ethel Merman up there (sings) "There's No Business Like Show Business"--wicked and engaging. Tom--"...we'll adjust Bruno's meds." 8
TOTAL: = 25

Samantha interview--Marissa to Bruno--"If you want Ethel Merman, I'll give you Ethel Merman!" & says this impersonating Merman's voice.

Jason & Edyta-TANGO-Weird Tango music--
Practice: Will also do a lift. To get the fun side of Samba, Edyta gave Jason a wig, maracas, & frilly Samba shirt to loosen up. Ballroom dancers secret weapon--spray tan. He has a tan that God gave him, but he needs a Samba tan.
Dance: Very good. Good posture. Beautiful lift at the end.
Len--Very good job. A tad like an Argentine tango. This is supposed to be Ballroom tango. 9
Bruno--Was so sexy, so beautiful, poetry in motion. Edyta-never danced more beautiful. Jason-stunning. 10
Carrie Ann--Says Bruno is possessed the way he is acting tonight. Breathtakingly beautiful to watch. Thought it was fantastic and intriguingly great. 10
TOTAL: = 29

Tom-Tomorrow: Exciting countdown of the judges Top 10 favorite dances of the first 5 seasons.

Cristián & Cheryl-TANGO-Beat It (I did not think this was good Tango music but it worked for Cris. Both even wore one glittered glove like MJ.)--
Practice: Dr.(looking at Cris' x-ray)--"Significant bleeding around the bicep. Tendon, and a complete rupture and tearing of the tendon away from the bone. Needs surgery but can put it off for two to three weeks but cannot put any force on the bicep." Dances with arm in sling. Biggest challenge to choreograph to disguise Cris's injury. We are here because a lot of people voted for us and the only way we can thank them is to keep on dancing. Determined to do lifts but Cheryl is really worried about him. Cris--"We will leave the show dancing not because of an injury. Teamwork--One hand and two hearts."
Dance: Amazing! Did a wonderful dance. The lift went well but Cheryl did the most of it. Has on a suit which covers his braced arm.
Bruno--You are the man with the golden arm. Could not see any problems with your arm. 9
Carrie Ann--I saw nothing at all wrong with that Tango. Great job! 10
Len--I appreciate your performance. Great job with the choreography. Well done. 9
TOTAL: = 28

LATIN ROUND

Kristi & Mark-SAMBA-Volaré--Fantastic! Fun dance!
Carrie Ann--Didn't care for it. A bit awkward. A little bit out of control. 8
Len--Great speed fantastic spins. 9
Bruno--Bejewled hummingbird. 9
TOTAL: = 29 + 26 = 55 out of 60

Mario & Karina-JIVE-Little Bitty Pretty One--Terrific Jive! Looked like they had a lot of fun.
Len--Roughness about it. All right. No technique in the footwork. 8
Bruno--That was the spirit of Rock n' Roll. (Tom-"Len's closer to the Rock of Ages.") 9
Carrie Ann--Brought a new flavor to the Jive. Feet were a little flexed. 9
TOTAL: 27 + 26 = 53 out of 60

Marissa & Tony-MAMBO-Latin music--Very nice but didn't care for it as much as their Foxtrot. Didn't care for the orange costume on her.
Bruno--You can do sexy! Beautiful Mambo. Great hip action. Loved pepperpot at the end. 9
Carrie Ann--Committed to the dancing, but foot came down at the end. Turns worked against you. Great job. 8
Len--You've really come out and performed. A little bit dainty and not down and dirty. 8
TOTAL: 25 + 25 = 50 out of 60
NOTE: Len complains that Mario is too raunchy (a few weeks ago) and Marissa is not dirty enough. Can't please him.

Jason & Edyta-SAMBA-It Had Better Be Tonight--Edyta is almost wearing a costume again. Still has a stiffness about him. Didn't think this was as good. I agree with Dance Center last week in that Jason does the same pose over and over again.
Carrie Ann--Looked like you were struggling. 8
Len--Didn't like it a lot. Next week is the semi-final and all right isn't enough. 7
Bruno--Lost rhythm. Not as focused as you usually are. 8
TOTAL: 29 + 23 = 52 out of 60

Tom reminds us that Rascal Flatts will be on Results show for 100th episode.

Cristián & Cheryl-MAMBO---Cris wears some glittered material to cover his brace with a sleeveless shirt. Another one armed lift done fantastically! I think he has saved himself for another week. He has finally got into his Latin background.
Len--Fabulous job. 9
Bruno--The things you can do with one arm. More energy than a volcano in the Andes. 10
Carrie Ann--Definitely Latin and you two are definitely on fire. 10
TOTAL: 28 + 29 = 57 out of 60
Jumps up to hug all the rest of the dancers as they give him a Standing O. They are so happy for him.
Samantha interview--Cris says that "We should have started dancing with one arm way before." They've been so supportive of me.

Marissa may be the one to go although she has improved quite a bit.

Next week--Pick the next two dances out of a hat.

Tomorrow I may have a double recap. One for the Special and one for the Results Show. It depends on what all happens on the Special. It sounds like it is jam packed so there will probably be a separate recap for that. Can't wait!!

Music for Week Eight

BALLROOM ROUND

Kristi & Mark - Quickstep - Billy A Dick
Mario & Karina - Viennese Waltz - If I Ain't Got You
Marissa & Tony - Foxtrot - New York New York
Jason & Edyta - Tango - Tango Bárbaro
Cristian & Cheryl - Tango - Beat It

LATIN ROUND

Kristi & Mark - Samba - Volare
Mario & Karina - Jive - Little Bitty Pretty One
Marissa & Tony - Mambo - Ritmo De Chunga
Jason & Edyta - Samba - It Had Better Be Tonight
Cristian & Cheryl - Mambo - Saca Tu Mujer

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Thank you, songbird. Those Latin numbers threw me. ~ eom. Linda

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Posted by: Linda
Date posted: Thu May 8 4:02:59 2008
Message:

This is for W.E.--You can still respond here and the other topics when you've seen the show. I'll be watching for you! Hope you had a great vacation!

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Posted by: ~gg
Date posted: Tue May 6 18:46:45 2008
Message:

Great recap, Linda.  I agree with everything you said.

Random thoughts...

I so dread listening to Carrie Ann's nitpicking.  Tom needs to adjust her meds before he does Bruno's.

'Beat It'?  huh?

I couldn't keep my eyes off Christian's arm.

I agree with this week's leaderboard with the possible exception of Kristi.  The judges scored her too low on the second dance.  She did not deserve the 8 she got from Carrie Ann (see above).

Jason still hasn't found what he's looking for..

Everyone was at their best for the ballroom round.  It's especially so for Mario and Marissa.  This was their best week to date.

Encore?  Cheryl and Christian

Bottom two?  Marissa and Mario. 

Not sure who's going home but I have a feeling it's Mario.

Thanks, Linda.

 

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Thanks, gg. Agree with everything? Wow, LOL! Carrie Ann does get annoying at times. LOL about her meds needing adjusting. Bruno's just goofy. Yeah, I wasn't crazy about 'Beat It' either but it worked somehow with the choreography that Cheryl had. I was constantly looking at Cris's arm too. Kristi's second dance wasn't perfect but I didn't see the 8 that CA gave her either. Jason, what is there to say about him. Sometimes he gets it and sometimes he doesn't. I think Mario is a smoother dancer. What is Len's problem with him? I thought that both Mario and Marissa improved so much on their ballroom round. Why did she get better scores? I was thinking that C & C were going to do the Encore too, if they would have had one. But then I wondered if the judges would want to put that extra stress on Cristián's arm. Bottom 2--I was thinking the same two as you and adding Jason to that as an alternate with Mario. You're the second one who had a feeling of Mario. Is Marissa's fanbase that big? ~ eom. Linda

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Posted by: songbird
Date posted: Tue May 6 14:14:30 2008
Message:

Excellent recap, Linda! Thank you.

First, I'm glad that the judges allowed lifts in certain cases. Second, we had the usual mix of dances....one strong, one weaker!!! I think the competition is much more evenly matched than in any other season. This is tough except for those who have a real knowledge of dance. That wouldn't me!!!

I think Mario may be in trouble this week. I sense that he doesn't have a large enough fanbase to keep him there. However, I enjoyed both of his dances. Marissa does nothing for me but I don't think she'll leave just yet. JMO. I loved Jason / Edyta's Tango and the music. I'll have to get the title of the song. Ballroom favorites were Jason and Kristi.

I think the Latin Round was weaker for all. I didn't have a favorite. However, I think I saw figure skating routines in Kristi's Samba. I've never noticed it before, but I thought it was so obvious this time. The girl had moves that she used in figure skating like that ''sit spin'' for example. Anyone else notice that? I wonder if Carrie Ann didn't want to bring it up and ''stir the pot''.

As for Christian, I think he was over scored a bit. I hope he doesn't end up with a worse injury by continuing to dance. I honestly don't know how he's able to do this. Loved his Tango. The man is determined and I'm happy for him.

REALLY looking forward to tonight!!! I'll have to watch on tape since I'm recapping AI and the two shows are against each other. Why oh why do they do that?

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My husband and I both commented that Kristi's dance looked like a figure skating routine. She is really capitalizing on her ability to do spins. -Miss H

I was watching with someone else, and after her second performance he said to me that she looked like she was doing ''pairs skating/ pairs dancing''. I was thinking EXACTLY the same thing. There were several 'moves' thrown in but that ''sit spin'' confirmed it for me. /sb

Thank you! I tried harder this time to keep it shorter but with two dances, it's kind of difficult. I was glad to see the lifts. It is nice to let everyone use them once and not just those couples in the finals. You are right in that one dance is weaker. I think that is because of trying to learn two in that short time. It is better to get one as perfect as you can instead of two that are just so-so. Mario--If I could have answered yesterday, I would have said that I have been wondering about Marissa's fanbase too, but that if she didn't go, I was hoping for Jason because I thought Mario was better than Jason. If you can get that song would be great! I didn't know how to even search for it. It sounded like that one familiar Tango song but with a twist so I wasn't sure if it was that one. Kristi--I started to put in my comments the same thing about skating routines. I recognized those same positions and what I thought was the ''sit spin''. I took out the comment when they came to Marissa and she did the exact same sit spin. When she went up before the judges, Bruno complimented her on her ''pepperpot''. So I knew that this was a regular dance move. It's called the ''pepper pot spin''. It's just that Kristi is used to those kinds of spins from skating and can do them well, which worked to her advantage, whereas when Marissa tried it, it didn't work very well at all. I think I even saw it in either one of the pro dances that night or else in Stacey Keibler's Samba on the Judge's Special. So this is a legitimate dance move. Cris might have been a little overscored but I think part of the score was going for Cheryl's choreography, which it shouldn't. I also hope that he is not overstressing his arm. ''Why oh why do they do that?'' Because they want to drive us nuts! ~ eom. Linda

Miss H--See what I wrote to sb about Kristi. She did a regular dance move called the ''pepper pot spin''. It is very much like her ''sit spins'' in skating and that's why she was able to do them so well. She was not the only one that did this move. ~ eom. Linda

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Posted by: Eve
Date posted: Tue May 6 13:50:47 2008
Message:

I sure agree with Sierra.  Jason is awkward and did not deserve his scores.  At least he danced more this time.  Usually it is Edyta posing around him.  I am ready for him to go.

Mario and one-armed Cristian (no mean spirit intended) were both better than Jason.  Bravo to Cristian for his efforts and I liked Mario's waltz and lift.

I LOVED Kristi's samba and although she looked like a little yellow canary, that's the most animated she's ever danced.  It was lively and cute. She got an 8? Jeez.

I'm starting to smell a fever in the funkhouse.

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Jason has improved but he is still awkward during his dances some more than others, like his Samba was worse than his Tango. I don't understand his scores either. Mario and Cristián were both better in my eyes too. I was amazed at what Cris was able to do and thought that Mario's waltz and fabulous lift were so much better than the scores he was given. Especially from Len. What is Len's problem with Mario? Kristi, too, got low scores for what she had done. Yes, Kristi did look like a yellow canary, now that you mention it. A cute little one! I think it is just that we see them dancing pretty good whereas the judges are looking for something more because of the quarterfinals and the semi-finals coming up. Eve, are you saying that there could be judge's favoritism towards certain performers more than others? Really? On these types of shows! I never would have guessed, LOL! ~ eom. Linda

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Posted by: Angela
Date posted: Tue May 6 13:47:02 2008
Message:
thanks Linda for the recap...I think if anyone should be going home it should be Carrie Ann..LOL

Replies: (list all replies)

LOL! Yeah, what was with her last night? Actually, all the judges seemed a bit harder, more critical. I think because it was the quarterfinals. ~ eom. Linda

ITA, Angela. ~gg

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Posted by: Sierra
Date posted: Tue May 6 12:48:19 2008
Message:

Thanks for the recap.

Sorry Jason fans, I am so over the fawning over his VERY ordinary performances which is basically the same thing week after week.  That Tango was all Edyta and he stumbled when he let her down.  How he got two tens is beyond me.  He is obviously a favorite.

Marissa's Foxtrot deserved higher scores.  She and Tony were delightful in this performance.  Also can't believe Kristi and Mark did not blow the judges away with the Samba.  Everyone I was watching with thought they are deliberately starting to low ball her.  Carrie Ann thought it was awkward??? Huh?

Bravo to Christian and Cheryl.  Ironically, he was the best I have seen him all season and Cheryl's choreography was sensational.

Mario's jive was pretty good; thought the waltz was far from elegant - it looked too wooden instead of sweeping which is generally how I feel a waltz should be.

I agree poor Marissa will be the one to go.  I honestly wish it was the overrated Jason.

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I agree that Cheryl did a fantastic job with the choreography. I hardly noticed that he was only using one arm! -Miss H

Very clever, wasn't it. That must have been extremely difficult to execute. Kudos to him and to Cheryl for her choreography. /sb

I agree about Jason. He has had a few highlights in his dances but I guess I hadn't really noticed how much he does the same positions until Kenny Mayne's Dance Center was pointing it out to be funny. Maybe there was actually a hidden meaning behind that joke. Someone mentioned how Jason's football Paso last week was very much like Cameron's Superman Paso the season before and I agree with that. It seems that all dances no matter what partner are all about Edyta. Granted she is a good dancer but it seems she showcases the wrong person. ~~ Marissa should have gotten something better. This was her best dance and she looked lovely doing it. ~~ I couldn't believe what CA said either about Kristi & Mark's dance. I was thinking the same thing myself last night that it almost seems like they are trying to put Kristi down lately. ~~ Cristián & Cheryl were amazing last night! They were on fire as CA put it. Cheryl is a superb choreographer and much better than Edyta, IMO. I was not sure Cris would pull it off this week, but he was stronger than ever. ~~ Mario's waltz could have been a little smoother. I think he practiced more on that lift because that was well done and beautiful at the end. I loved his Jive, though. ~~ Yes, poor Marissa. Unless her fanbase is really strong, but her judges scores were so low that it would take something to keep her in. If she goes, at least she is going on a great dance and getting four 9s! ~ eom. Linda

Miss H--I hardly noticed that he only used the one arm either. Cheryl really has it cut out for her if he remains to the end, but I think she can do it. Both dances were great! ~ eom. Linda

sb--Cheryl was very clever. She is so imaginative. This was the only week that she had to worry about lifts so her job might be a little easier next week. Of course if he makes it to the finals, then she really has a job ahead of her on the Freestyle. But since most anything goes on that, it might be easier than a restricted dance. ~ eom. Linda

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