I think many of our pairs felt the pressure of having only 4 days of rehearsal time to learn this week's dance, as opposed to 3 weeks leading up to the first show. Many of them had trauma and drama in rehearsal. Most pulled it together and gave credible performances. A few struggled. And a couple really stood out as contenders.
Everyone is going to have to get used to it though, because that's the reality through the next 8 weeks.
Here are the performances we enjoyed.
We thought the Quickstep from Kristin and Mark was charming, despite Len's irritation with breaking the hold, which is a no no. Click here if the video doesn't play.
We thought that the Jive from Rob and Cheryl was fun, particularly once the light went on for Rob about a third of the way through. Click here if the video doesn't play.
We enjoyed the West Coast Swing flavor of the Jive from Ricki and Derek. I couldn't find a short clip, so you can go forward to about 1:30. Click here if the video doesn't play.
Chynna didn't have the high energy and precise flick kicks that I like in her Jive with Tony, but this routine still made us smile. I may have mentioned this in my post yesterday, but in case I didn't...Chynna has great LEGSSES. Click here if the video doesn't play.
Dance of the night goes to the most outstanding Jive from JR and Karina. Len picked at it and Carrie Ann deducted for the lift, but we thought this was a show stopper. Click here if the video doesn't play.
Yes indeed...JR and Karina are the pair to beat at this stage. At least they are in my opinion. I think the judges have even started to work on criticisms for this pair to keep things close and interesting. The 22 they got for that Jive was too low, even with deductions for the lift and Len's complaint that there was too much Lindy Hop influence in the choreography.
Here's a reminder of our leader board after Monday's performances:
23 Ricki and Derek
22 JR and Karina
22 Kristin and Mark
21 Chynna and Tony
21 Nancy and Tristan
21 Rob and Cheryl
21 Elisabetta and Val
19 Hope and Maks
18 David and Kym
18 Carson and Anna
17 Chaz and Lacey
Alrighty then...let's start the show!
Pam was pleased because the fellas led off the show with a group dance choreographed by Val. I had to go find the drool towel.
Results...Carson and Anna are safe.
The judges select the Jive from Ricki and Derek as the encore performance.
We have a visit from a band called The Script. I have no idea who they are. My research revealed that they are an alternative rock band from Ireland. I discovered that they are quite successful in their home country, as well as in the UK and Europe. I kind of liked the sound, but I really liked that they were accompanied by Dmitry Chaplin and Chelsie Hightower with a wonderful Rumba.
More results...Ricki and Derek are safe. Kristin and Mark are safe. JR and Karina are safe.
Macy's Stars of Dance returns with a dance inspired by the old Busby Berkley routines from early movie musicals, choreographed by Emmy winner Marguerite Derricks. That was pretty cool.
More results...Rob and Cheryl are safe. Nancy and Tristan are safe.
Now Demi Lovato is in the ballroom to perform her hit Skyscraper off her new album, accompanied beautifully by some wonderful lyrical contemporary dancers. I thought I recognized Ryan Ramirez from this past season of So You Think You Can Dance. Regrettably, Ms Lovato did not sound good at all.
Final results...Chynna and Tony are safe. Hope and Maks are safe. Chaz and Lacey are safe. David and Kym are safe.
That means that Elisabetta and Val are eliminated.
That's unfortunate, because I think she would have broken out of her shell. I thought her Quickstep was sweet and a good step in the right direction. I like that she got to dance well and feel good about herself.
Tune in next week when our 10 remaining couples tell a personal story through dance. I like this feature because the celebrities often forget about the steps and just feel the performances because they are so intensely personal.
Later gang!
Reason 37: Nelson Mandela said, "I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself". I blog for peace because if you can't first dream of what peace could be like, how can you understand how to make it, live in it, and keep it?
I believe that words have power, so this matters.
