This was certainly a night filled with drama, surprises and the usual same old, same old on Monday night’s performance show of “Dancing with the Stars.” The semifinals this season were a bit of a letdown from past seasons. Much of it certainly had to do with J.R.’s recent injury when twisting his ankle during a weekend practice . Seeing the film footage of him landing on his ankle in the wrong position was difficult to watch.
However, for a change there was another couple that emerged from the ranks who is no doubt going into the finals. Rob Kardashian practically stole the show from the two front runners all season long. It was about time to change things up just a little. During the semifinals the couples had to dance either the paso doble or samba for the first round. In the second round all of the couples took on the sultry Argentine Tango that allowed them to do lifts. Finally it was the cha-cha relay where the couples drew a number for their placement. Each performed the dance in succession. The judges would give the couples an individual score of 10, 8, 6, and 4.
Paso Dobles & Sambas
Hope Solo
In the pre-dance video Hope’s doctor had to come in during her practice to give her a shot reserved for the upcoming 2012 Olympics . Her shoulder was giving her a lot of pain. Her paso doble was definitely intense, but lacked the control it requires. She is still so athletic on the dance floor lacking the necessary artistry. I was not keen on Hope being in chains at the beginning of the number. All Hope did was stand there when she needed to get into the dance more quickly. 21
J.R. Martinez
Dressed like Anthony Banderas as Zorro and Karina as Catherine Zeta Jones’ character J.R. managed to dance all the way through it, even though it required the stomping and aggressive footwork that he was not able to properly execute. After the dance J.R. seemed to be limping to the judges table. He told Tom Bergeron he twisted his ankle again. Though the judges were empathetic they still had to judge accordingly. 23
Rob Kardashian
Enough with the cheesy intros as Rob and Cheryl practically spent some time on a Brazilian Carnival float shaking maracas, even the judges didn’t like it. Afterwards, it was a fast-paced samba that even included some of those difficult samba rolls. It was obvious from this dance Rob has certainly come a long way. He also received a “10” from Carrie Ann who obviously has a crush on him since the beginning of the season. 28
Ricki Lake
I know The Muppets are going to be on this week’s results show, but did Big Bird take Ricki’s place during this dance? She wore the most hideous costume I have ever seen on the show. It was such a bright shade of yellow I could hardly watch the dance. The skirt was filled with the bright yellow marabou along with a matching yellow top. The whole thing, even Derek’s costume, was too much yellow. Yes, the samba is a party dance with bright colors, but at least use more than one color please. I noticed Ricki did not attempt any samba rolls, yet the couple got their first perfect score. Quite frankly I though Rob had a much better dance. 30
Argentine Tangos
Hope Solo
The best part of this segment was seeing the personal stories on what gives them motivation. Her story about her father was extremely touching. It’s a shame Hope’s dancing has not greatly improved, much like Rob’s, she still lacks grace, fluidity and control. There were a lot of lifts attempted but they were extremely sloppy in execution on Hope’s part. 24
J.R. Martinez
If the judges were to score on the best pre-dance videos J.R. should get a “30” for this one. Hearing his mother, Army veteran and cast mates from “All My Children” were all very touching indeed. What an improvement from his first dance. This was my favorite Argentine Tango from all the couples, because he had to do those difficult lifts with Karina that certainly required putting all of his weight on his feet. If I had seen this dance without the knowledge of J.R.’s injury and seeing his first dance I would have never known he was in pain. The judges were impressed with his vast improvement and his challenging lifts. 27
Rob Kardashian
His mother and sisters should have been charged with child abuse while making Rob dress up in dresses as a kid. His pre-dance video showcased how blatantly narcissistic his family truly is. At least he is attempting to break away and become his own person. His attempt at the Argentine Tango was excellent. 27
Ricki Lake
Once again here was another emotion story on her weight gain as a child and in her adult life. Her’s and Derek’s Argentine Tango was crisp, clean and conservative. It did not have the ambitious lifts like the others, but it was enough for some of the judges to give her a “10.” 29
Cha-Cha-Cha Relays
Ricki Lake
She drew the first number and had to go first. They danced a lively cha-cha that earned them second place with an “8.”
Hope Solo
They had not danced the cha-cha since week one, but it was a decent effort as they were the second couple to go out on the dance floor. Unfortunately they placed last and received a “4.”
J.R. Martinez
J.R. and Karina came out blazing as if his ankle did not bother him. He even did a lift with Karina at the end. They came in third with a score of “6.”
Rob Kardashian
By far the best way to end the show and their dances with a brilliant cha-cha. Rob was awarded the top score of “10.” It was good to see someone else besides Ricki and J.R. getting top scores.
Next week’s final performance show will be on for only an hour. This is where we will see the freestyle dances. Tuesday night’s performance show will have The Muppets stop by to promote their new movie. Macy’s Design-A-Dance will feature Anna Trebunskya and Derek Hough as the pro couple dancing the paso doble to Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” Cobra Starship will be the musical guest stars.
SOURCES:
Dancing with the Stars, ABC.go.com
Jennifer Broadwater, “‘Dancing with the Stars’ week 9: Semifinals bring injuries and attitudes”, BaltimoreSun.com
Ann Oldenburg, “‘Dancing with the Stars’ semifinals: Ricki rules, Hope sinks”, USAToday.com